Clemson Football: Three questions about the special teams

Is Robert Gunn III ready to be the starting placekicker for Clemson Football?

Gunn was a member of the Class of 2022. Unfortunately, he was injured during his senior season in high school and was recovering for most of last season. That worked out fine because Potter was able to play one more season for the Tigers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gunn was allowed to fully recover with a target to be ready to kick in 2023. His videos that are available show he has a big leg. One thing most observers will tell you is that sometimes what you see in videos from high school and practice situations doesn’t always translate to the regular season.

There is a lot of pressure for a kicker to become a first-year starter. In this case, Gunn is taking over for Potter. Potter wasn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but he evolved into a very reliable kicker. Making a short to intermediate-length field goal was practically automatic. Will he be able to handle the pressure?

Clemson had a walk-on kicker competing with Gunn in spring practice, but that player (Liam Boyd) decided to transfer following spring practice. Swanson can kick as well, and there are two more walk-on kickers on the roster, but for the most part, Clemson needs Gunn to be ready for prime time.

More kicking help is coming eventually with Nolan Hauser, a member of the Class of 2024 who is setting records in North Carolina high school football. Until then, it’s RG3 or bust.